Difference between grades

[mygar]

So i have a box on hand that was HQ or PSP. Just received a box of the same in HP. Yes, you can tell differences from wrapper color and oil between the two as expected. But im wondering... how much difference is there in taste between the grades? Of course... after some rest of the recent shipping... i plan to test myself... but interested in others thoughts.

[ChefBoyRG54]

All subjective

[mygar]

Right... any subjective opinions are wellcome

[garbandz]

about $20.00 difference................depending on the box.............

[mygar]

Lol

[MrGTO]

PSP = Grrrrreat!

HQ. = Grrrreat!

HP = Grrreat!

[JohnS]

Don't discount a Hand Picked box as it could be PSP, HQ or PE. I've never hesitated on a Hand Picked Clearance when I've wanted a certain marca and I've been waiting for it. As an example, the last time some of the Sydney FoH'ers met up in Sydney (in January this year), El Pres had some PE AUM Jul 15 Ramon Allones Club Allones LE 2015 on hand. These smoked really well, they tasted fantastic. A few days later I caught up with Trevor Leask, the founder of Cuban Cigar Website and I brought along two RAE Ago 15 Ramon Allones Club Allones which were HQ from memory. Again, they tasted great, very similar to the AUM Jul 15 cigar, the only difference might have been in the wrapper shade as construction was not too different.

Of course, what constitutes PSP/HQ/PE differs amongst the various marcas of Habanos cigars which El Pres explains usually in the daily 24:24 listings. To quote El Pres from the pinned topic here...

"There is no magic to the process. Good wrappers, good construction, good aroma at cold is all we wish to provide FOH members (the balance will find a home in wholesale). I will throw in my own smoking experience as I smoke current cigars (current shipment) 99% of the time. If I think something is outstanding I will say it (as we did with the 2013 Punch Punch/2012 R&J E4). If I don't like it....I will say it."

[NSXCIGAR]

I've received hand-picked clearance that are indistinguishable from HQ, at the very least high end PE.

The "seconds" are about as good or better than any standard blind buy anywhere else. They're pretty much high-end PE with a very minor blemish or two.

Taste difference between them is hard to qualify but for certain cigars, I would want PSP or at least HQ quality for best results.

[mygar]

Don't discount a Hand Picked box as it could be PSP, HQ or PE. I've never hesitated on a Hand Picked Clearance when I've wanted a certain marca and I've been waiting for it. As an example, the last time some of the Sydney FoH'ers met up in Sydney (in January this year), El Pres had some PE AUM Jul 15 Ramon Allones Club Allones LE 2015 on hand. These smoked really well, they tasted fantastic. A few days later I caught up with Trevor Leask, the founder of Cuban Cigar Website and I brought along two RAE Ago 15 Ramon Allones Club Allones which were HQ from memory. Again, they tasted great, very similar to the AUM Jul 15 cigar, the only difference might have been in the wrapper shade as construction was not too different.

Of course, what constitutes PSP/HQ/PE differs amongst the various marcas of Habanos cigars which El Pres explains usually in the daily 24:24 listings. To quote El Pres from the pinned topic here...

"There is no magic to the process. Good wrappers, good construction, good aroma at cold is all we wish to provide FOH members (the balance will find a home in wholesale). I will throw in my own smoking experience as I smoke current cigars (current shipment) 99% of the time. If I think something is outstanding I will say it (as we did with the 2013 Punch Punch/2012 R&J E4). If I don't like it....I will say it."

Thanks JohnS ... the boxes in question are BRC. The HP contstruction is fine. Only difference i can tell are the wrappers. A shade lighter and less oil. Aroma at cold is a little less barnyard. But i bet they will taste as good as my others!!

[mygar]

I've received hand-picked clearance that are indistinguishable from HQ, at the very least high end PE.

The "seconds" are about as good or better than any standard blind buy anywhere else. They're pretty much high-end PE with a very minor blemish or two.

Taste difference between them is hard to qualify but for certain cigars, I would want PSP or at least HQ quality for best results.

Thanks for your insight. I have ordered a number of HP as late. As everyone expressed... the overall quality looks good. Anxious to give them a try...

[cigarbigboy]

I vote we have el Prez smoke a stick out of each actual box and tell us his thoughts.

[ag794516]

I must say, that I have some HP, some HQ and some PSP cigars. I tell you, there is a difference between PSP and HQ. The sheen of the wrappers is better. There is more oil on the PSP's, and they smell more intensive. In some cigars I wood prefer only PSP. El Pres does a very good job here. I must also say I have three boxes of HP Lusiania. When I should classify them, and I smoked one of every box, they are the best fresh I have had. Fore sure it depends on the cigars. But in my opinion you can't go wrong with Hand picked cigars.

[creamypies]

So a hand picked box will be essentially either PE, HQ, or PSP? How do you know which you've received?

[mygar]

So a hand picked box will be essentially either PE, HQ, or PSP? How do you know which you've received?

I dont think you do. Im guessing the box i received is PE. The other i was compairing it to was psp or hq. Difference in color and oil. But i bet they will taste similar to my palate.

[Kbb]

Some say you eat with your eyes first. A poorly plated dish may not taste any worse than its artistic counterpart, but there is diminished anticipation. You could say the same about cigars. There is a bit of psychology at play.

However, when talking oil content perhaps there is an argument about flavor.

[mygar]

Some say you eat with your eyes first. A poorly plated dish may not taste any worse than its artistic counterpart, but there is diminished anticipation. You could say the same about cigars. There is a bit of psychology at play.

However, when talking oil content perhaps there is an argument about flavor.

Those are the same thoughts i had when posting this thread.

[creamypies]

How common are HQ and PSP boxes amongst the hand picked assortment?

And how common are PSP boxes among the PSP/HQ mix?

50/50?

[El Presidente]

So i have a box on hand that was HQ or PSP. Just received a box of the same in HP. Yes, you can tell differences from wrapper color and oil between the two as expected. But im wondering... how much difference is there in taste between the grades? Of course... after some rest of the recent shipping... i plan to test myself... but interested in others thoughts.

let them rest and do your own testing

There is an exchange in the last part of the movie "Kingdom of Heaven"

Sladin is asked what jerusalem is worth?

He answers "Nothing"....and walks away. He then turns and says "Everything"

You can relate it to wrappers.

[PapaDisco]

I've been very happy with FOH's PE cigars. If PSP or HQ is available I will gladly spend the extra coin for those, but I won't defer buying a box simply because only PE is on offer.

[El Presidente]

How common are HQ and PSP boxes amongst the hand picked assortment?

And how common are PSP boxes among the PSP/HQ mix?

50/50?

Depends on the batch. Sometimes more PSP than HQ. Often more HQ than PSP. Makes sense as there are more HQ than PSP generally.

I won't put them together in an offering uless they are close. I always price it at the HQ level. I always picture the HQ level.

Always feel free to purchase blind. No skin off my nose.

[mygar]

There is an exchange in the last part of the movie "Kingdom of Heaven"

Sladin is asked what jerusalem is worth?

He answers "Nothing"....and walks away. He then turns and says "Everything"

You can relate it to wrappers.

Lol.... perfect

[TonyAccardo]

After ordering from several "gray market" vendors and getting junk from them for the most part I then went to ordering strictly from LCDH's located in Canada, Luxembourg, and Germany. From the LCDH's I got better product more consistently but for the most part it was PE grade cigars AND you paid for it. And even though I would ask for a certain color of wrapper and request that the box have a strong barnyard odor at cold, it seemed that when I got my boxes from them, my requests had fallen on deaf ears.

I'd always meant to order from Rob but at first I was hesitant. I didn't like the fact that I was trusting someone else to grade my boxes AND a add or subtract to the price of that box based on its grade. I don't know why that got to me because it's now one of the major positives of the whole transaction. I also didn't like that you had to scramble before everyone else if you wanted a certain box, I didn't like the "race" aspect of the whole transaction. It is now part of the intrigue and excitement. I didn't like the fact that only certain boxes were available but I now have a better understanding of Cuban cigars and I'm now thankful that only certain cigars are available in PSP/HQ grades.

The final results have been that I, who buys at least 2 boxes a week sometimes more, would never even think about buying from anybody else unless it was a box of cigars like the RA 225. But then again, I'm also a guy who doesn't direct my monies towards LE's or RE's. I'm a regular production guy only, in fact I don't have one LE or RE box of cigars out of the 115 or so boxes I have in storage. I know I'm probably missing out as some of them can be quite good from what I hear and read but I'd just rather buy a reg production cigar and let time do its thing to them and see what the reward will be down the road.

Everything I disliked about Robs PSP program were things that have come to have great value for me and I don't know that there's an online vendor like him in the entire world. His prices, for Americans, is a lot of times equal to or sometimes lower than you can get them in Cuba for and even the PSP priced cigars are right on par with what you would pay from a grey market vendor. The guys service cannot be beat in my mind. If you're truly looking to get into buying, smoking, and laying down boxes of cigars for the long term, then you would be doing yourself a great service by purchasing from Czar Club! Period!

[TypicalSituation]

I will echo what many others have said, that I first bought from very well known gray market vendors, but was disappointed in the quality.. Some of the palest wrappers I'd ever seen, lifeless and boring. I was recommended this way and have never looked back. The boxes I get are always outstanding. Even the seconds are miles ahead some of the garbage I bought blind. Certain Cigars I hold out for psp on, r and j Churchill, h upmann no 2s.... Cigars I plan on sitting on for a while. Daily smokes... Everything from seconds to hq, psp, pe, whatever is available. Never been disappointed and don't think I ever will be. The premium (and sometimes even cheaper) price is well worth the service. I'd be willing to bet anything offered up on 24:24 is at least as good, most of the time much better quality than buying blind.

So I say all that to say this, buy any grade from Rob cause you'll be happy!

[wabashcr]

One thing I've seen Rob say on several occasions, which may be worth repeating here, is that his grades are at least in some part based on his preferences and tastes. There are many here and elsewhere who don't see eye to eye as far as what wrapper colors and characteristics make for a better cigar. One man's PSP is another man's PE, so to speak.

Even if you get what appears to be a flawless box, there's no guarantee the cigars will perform when put to the flame. Some think trying to predict how a box or an individual cigar will smoke on appearance alone is a fool's errand, cigar construction notwithstanding.

I'm not an old cigar smoker with decades of experience. But I will say everything I've received from FOH has been excellent. Not so with other vendors. I put a lot of stock in Rob's selections, and the predictive qualities implied. I don't know if I could tell you the difference in grades or not. What I do know is that I've never been let down here. As long as that remains the case, I have no reason to go elsewhere.

[SipIt]

I love the grading system, it's the best thing I've come across in purchasing Cubans. Who wants to spend hundreds of dollars on a box of terrible looking cigars? I've only gotten a few disastrous looking boxes buying blind, but man it's disheartening when you open one.